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America in the World Forum

TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 14, 2009) – The University of South Florida’s Patel Center for Global Solutions joins with Creative Loafing in hostinga community discussion on America’s role in the world as part of a nationwide effort by the Fund for Peace seeking the public’s views on America’s role in the world.

The public is invited to “A National Dialogue: America in the World” at 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 21, at Creative Loafing’s offices, 810 N. Howard Ave., Tampa. The event is free, but seating is limited.

The forums are sponsored by The Fund for Peace, a Washington, D.C.-based research and education organization, and are supported by the Ford Foundation. Tampa is one of seven U.S. cities to host the traveling town halls in a two-year effort to spark a national conversation on American interests and values in the world. The views and themes articulated at the forums will be published in a major report and provided to Washington policymakers and legislators before the State of the Union Address in 2010.

“The U.S. remains the world’s pre-eminent power,” said Will Ferroggiaro, the Fund for Peace project director who is facilitating the dialogues. “But there are increasing challenges to that power, whether the threats are military, economic or even environmental. This is an opportunity for people to come together and identify what our goals should be – beyond the immediate financial crises and Iraq and Afghan wars, but looking five, 10 or 20 years out.”

Central to the discussion will be questions on the nature of national interests and values, and what goals the United States and its citizens have for the world. The public will be asked to weigh in on how they are affected by world events and how their point-of-view influences what happens outside U.S. borders.

“We live in interdependence; yet people’s priorities and values differ and their access to resources, standards of living, and power varies tremendously,” said Mark Amen, the Patel Center’s academic director and expert on globalization and international relations. “There is no better time to consider the contributions all of us as well as countries like the United States are making to bring about a more justice, equitable, peaceful, and fairer world. This dialogue is an excellent opportunity to have serious discussion about the state of global affairs.”

Those interested in attending the forum are asked to RSVP by clicking here by Sept. 18. More information on The Fund for Peace and the national dialogues can be found here.

The University of South Florida System is one of the nation's top 63 public research universities and one of 39 community-engaged, four-year public universities as designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. USF was awarded $380.4 million in research contracts and grants in FY 2008/2009. The system offers 232 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine. It has a $1.8 billion annual budget, an annual economic impact of $3.2 billion, and serves more than 47,000 students on institutions/campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and Lakeland. USF is a member of the Big East Athletic Conference.